The present invention relates to a camera control system and, more particularly, to a camera control system in which at least one operator remotely operates at least one camera.
A video transmission system has been proposed in which large numbers of cameras and computers are arranged in a building and connected in a network to enable transmission of images or conversations using images and voices between two (or three or more) arbitrary points. For example, this system is expected to be used as a video conference system or a remote monitoring system. For these purposes, cameras whose direction and zooming can be externally controlled are already commercially available. In such a video transmission system each operator can remotely operate a given camera from a given place and/or display an image taken by a given camera on the screen of his or her computer.
In a video transmission system in which remote control of a given camera is possible, as the number of cameras to be operated increases it is more and more necessary to allow each operator to readily know the location of each camera. The present applicant has already proposed a system in which camera symbols indicating individual cameras are superposed on a map image which shows the installation sites of these cameras. The present applicant has also proposed a system in which the direction of each camera is indicated by the direction of a corresponding camera symbol.
The following problem arises when further improvements of a camera control system of this sort are attempted. That is, any user using the system can freely remotely operate cameras connected to other hosts and see images taken by these cameras. However, persons in the sensing enable ranges of the cameras to be remotely operated feel as if they were being monitored, and this may give them a strong unpleasant feeling. That is, under this condition the privacy of each person in the imaging range of a camera is invaded.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above conventional problem and provide a camera control system in which the protection of privacy is taken into consideration.
That is, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera control system in which a range within which imaging is not permitted, i.e., an imaging inhibited range, can be set for each camera, and an image in this imaging inhibited range cannot be physically or essentially taken by a remote operation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a camera control system in which each operator can easily recognize the imaging inhibited range of each camera which he or she intends to remotely operate.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a camera control system which can rapidly set the imaging direction or the magnification of an image.
To achieve the above objects, a camera control system of the present invention has the following arrangements.
An image input system comprising:
image pick-up means for picking-up an image in a predetermined area;
setting means for setting an imaging inhibited area in which imaging is inhibited in the predetermined area;
input means for inputting an image of a desired area excluding the imaging inhibited area set by the setting means from the predetermined area picked-up by the pick-up means; and
display means for displaying the input image from the input means.
An image input system for displaying an input image, comprising:
at least one camera for picking-up an image of an object;
camera moving means for moving the camera by one or both of panning and tilting;
map display means for displaying a map showing a position of the camera and a direction in which the camera can be aimed by the camera moving means;
setting means for setting an imaging inhibited area in which image-picking-up is inhibited on the map displayed by the map display means; and
display means for displaying an image picked-up by a desired at least one of the at least one camera.
An image input system for displaying an input image, comprising:
at least one camera for picking-up an image of an object;
camera moving means for moving the camera within a predetermined range by one or both of panning and tilting;
direction designating means for designating a direction of a desired camera of the at least one camera;
message display means for displaying a message indicating that the camera cannot be moved, when the direction designated by the direction designating means falls outside the predetermined range; and
image display means for displaying an image picked-up by the desired camera.
An image input system for displaying an input image, comprising:
at least one camera for picking-up an image of an object;
camera moving means for moving the camera within a predetermined range by one or both of panning and tilting;
direction designating means for designating a direction of a desired camera of the at least one camera;
control means for aiming the camera at a position closest to the direction designated by the direction designating means, when the direction designated by the direction designating means falls outside the predetermined range; and
image display means for displaying an image picked-up by the desired camera.
An image input system for displaying an input image, comprising:
at least one camera for picking-up an image of an object;
region designating means for designating a partial region having a desired size and a desired position from an input image picked up by a desired camera of the at least one camera; and
display means for displaying the partial region designated by the region designating means.
An image display method of displaying an image picked-up by image pick-up means, comprising:
a setting step of setting an imaging inhibited area in which imaging is inhibited in a predetermined area;
an input step of inputting an image of a desired area excluding the imaging inhibited area set by the setting step from the predetermined area picked-up by the pick-up means; and
a display step of displaying the input image from the input step.
An image display method of displaying an image picked-up by at least one camera moved by one or both of panning and tilting by camera moving means, comprising:
a map display step of displaying a map showing a position of the camera and a direction in which the camera can be aimed by the camera moving means;
a setting step of setting an imaging inhibited area in which image picking-up is inhibited on the map displayed by the map display step; and
a display step of displaying an image picked-up by a desired one of the at least one camera.
An image display method of displaying an image picked-up by at least one camera moved within a predetermined range by one or both of panning and tilting by camera moving means, comprising:
a direction designating step of designating a direction of a desired camera of the at least one camera;
a message display step of displaying a message indicating that the camera cannot be moved, when the direction designated by the direction designating step falls outside the predetermined range; and
an image display step of displaying an image picked-up by the desired camera.
An image display method of displaying an image picked-up by at least one camera moved within a predetermined range by one or both of panning and tilting by camera moving means, comprising:
a direction designating step of designating a direction of a desired camera of the at least one camera;
a control step of aiming the camera at a position closest to the direction designated by the direction designating step, when the direction designated by the direction designating step falls outside the predetermined range; and
an image display step of displaying an image taken by the desired camera.
An image display method of displaying an image picked-up by at least one camera, comprising:
the region designating step of designating a partial region having a desired size and a desired position from an input image taken by a desired camera of the at least one camera; and
the display step of displaying the partial region designated by the region designating step.
A computer readable memory storing a program of displaying an image taken by image pick-up means, comprising:
codes of a process of setting an imaging inhibited area in which imaging is inhibited in a predetermined area;
codes of a process of inputting an image of a desired area excluding the imaging inhibited area set by the setting step from the predetermined area; and
codes of the display step of displaying the input image from the input step.
A computer readable memory of the present invention has the following arrangements.
A computer readable memory storing a program of displaying an image taken by at least one camera moved by one or both of panning and tilting by camera moving means, comprising:
codes of a process of displaying a map showing a position of the camera and a direction in which the camera can be aimed by the camera moving means;
codes of a process of setting an imaging inhibited area in which imaging is inhibited on the map displayed by the map display step; and
codes of a process of displaying an image taken by a desired one of the at least one camera.
A computer readable memory storing a program of displaying an image taken by at least one camera moved within a predetermined range by one or both of panning and tilting by camera moving means, comprising:
codes of a process of designating a direction of a desired camera of the at least one camera;
codes of a process of displaying a message indicating that the camera cannot be moved, when the direction designated by the direction designating step falls outside the predetermined range; and
codes of a process of displaying an image taken by the desired camera.
A computer readable memory storing a program of displaying an image taken by at least one camera moved within a predetermined range by one or both of panning and tilting by camera moving means, comprising:
codes of a process of designating a direction of a desired camera of the at least one camera;
codes of a process of aiming the camera at a position closest to the direction designated by the direction designating step, when the direction designated by the direction designating step falls outside the predetermined range; and
codes of a process of displaying an image taken by the desired camera.
The camera control system and method of the present invention with the above arrangements can designate an imaging inhibited area and thereby protect the privacy of a user. Additionally, since the imaging inhibited area can be set in a map window, the operation is easy and the imaging inhibited area can be clearly designated.
Also, even if a direction in which a camera is to be aimed is outside the movable range of the camera, the movement of the camera is restricted within the camera movable range. This prevents a damage to the camera.
Furthermore, an operator can set an imaging inhibited area and designate the direction of a camera while monitoring the view angle of the camera. This facilitates the operation.
The directions or the magnifications of a camera can be instantaneously switched.
Images such as are obtainable when a plurality of cameras are used can be obtained by using a single camera physically.